Why to eliminate filler words, and how to do so
One of my top observations over the past few years is that a huge obstacle to understanding someone is the overuse of filler words. The ”like”. The ”ums”. The ”uhhhhs”. The ”well, uh”….
This applies to both native speakers as well as people learning English.
#1: You sound less confident.
It undermines you, no matter how much you know, when ''like'' and ''uhhh'' invade every sentence.
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#2: Your presentations will become less understandable.
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#3: Filler words are just annoying. They make it harder to understand the speaker.
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#4: Most importantly, the filler words are a distraction to YOU.
Yes it’s time to get selfish here. When we become really observant about the process of speaking to other humans, we notice quickly that those filler words are often born from anxiety, uncertainty and even fear. We fill the air with these noises and it actually interferes with the next thought. The mouth says ”uhh” but for most of us the brain can’t think at 100% when the mouth is busy uttering nonsense syllables.
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Don’t distract yourself with these useless words. Instead, you can use a replacement pause (take a pause to think, breathe, and then move on).
Also, prepare more. Know your subject, backward and forward. . Preparation is so important but often downplayed in the modern world of instant gratification.
In short, cut out the filler words. Be prepared and take brief pauses when the impulse arises to use the filler word. Your colleagues, subordinates and bosses will appreciate the effort.
Cheers.
(Adapted from the Aandego blog and podcast)
